


White Christmas

by Sue Corkill (mscorkill)



Series: Blue Christmas [2]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-03
Updated: 2012-04-03
Packaged: 2017-11-02 23:22:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/374510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mscorkill/pseuds/Sue%20Corkill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The quarantine of the Alpha Site lasts longer than anyone expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	White Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> For the 2004 Holiday Challenge on SamJackNC17 list. Challenge requirements: ivy, crystal, tears, fire/fireplace, 'sweets for the sweet', NC17. Enjoy! As always, my thanks to Wendy and Linz for all their help. 
> 
> Season Six; Originally posted January 2005

WHITE CHRISTMAS

Janet shivered, pulling her jacket tighter and hurrying across the snowy and icy ground. It was only a few yards from the infirmary to the main barracks, but the build up of ice and snow made the going treacherous. Arriving cold and breathless at the door, she entered quickly, struggling to shut the door against a gust of wind. Blowing out a sigh and stomping her feet to get rid of the excess snow, Janet surveyed the scene in front of her, very glad to be back in the warmth,

Jonas and Teal'c sat at one of the tables, playing cards. She couldn't tell for sure what particular game they were playing, but it looked like gin rummy. Both men acknowledged her entrance with a nod. Her fear that Jonas would contract the chickenpox hadn't come true, the Kelownan and Teal'c remained in perfect health. In fact, all four members of SG-1 had remained disgustingly healthy, while the regular inhabitants of the alpha site one by one succumbed to the flu. Even Bollivar, the PA, was currently bedridden with chills and fever. It seemed that as soon as one poor soul was deemed well enough to return to partial duty, someone else took his place.

And on top of it, she still wasn't any closer to knowing if the flu posed a risk to Earth. The virology lab back in the Springs was taking its own sweet time with the cultures. Thank goodness supplies weren't a problem. And thank goodness one of her nurses had volunteered to come through and help. As it was, they were both taking shifts, sleeping in the infirmary, tending to the dozen or so patients.

Shrugging out of her jacket, she hung it on one of the coat hooks and made a beeline for the coffee. Pouring herself a cup, she warmed her hands around the mug and critically studied the only other inhabitant of the lounge. Sam sat huddled in the corner of the one sofa in the room, furiously typing away on her laptop. Beyond a brief glance when she'd entered, Sam hadn't acknowledged her presence. She looked tired, there were dark circles under her eyes and Janet could tell she'd lost some weight, too. Everyone who wasn't sick was working hard, but there was something more going on with Sam. Her friend's silent and almost withdrawn behavior was not like her at all; she just hadn't made a diagnosis yet.

Deciding to leave Sam alone for the moment, Janet wandered over to where Teal'c and Jonas sat. Pulling out a chair, she sat down. "Hey, guys."

"Doctor Fraiser." Teal'c set a nine of spades on the discard pile.

"Doctor," Jonas nodded at her. He picked up the card Teal'c had discarded and with a flourish, laid his cards on the table. "Gin," he grinned.

Whatever response Teal'c was going to make was lost in the noise of the door banging open, accompanied by a blast of cold air. "Damn snow," O'Neill muttered, slamming the door and stomping his feet.

Janet watched idly as O'Neill's eyes skimmed across the occupants of the room, stopping only when he reached Sam. Was it just her imagination, or did his jaw tighten and his frown deepen when he looked at her? Risking a quick glance in Sam's direction, Janet saw that her friend's face was equally grim, her eyes meeting his for the briefest of moments before she averted them. Looking back at O'Neill, she thought for a moment he was going to say something, his gloved hands clenching into fists at his side, but he remained silent.

Feeling like she needed to do something to break the tension in the room, Janet smiled brightly. "Cold enough for you, sir?" It was inane and she cringed when the words came out of her mouth, but it worked. O'Neill dragged his eyes away from Sam and frowned at her instead. He didn't say anything though, merely grunted, and took off his gloves.

"Is everything well, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked calmly, stacking the cards and handing them to Jonas.

"Yeah." The parka followed the gloves and he stepped further into the room, going to stand in front of the wood stove.

"How's everything back on Earth?" Jonas asked, nimbly shuffling the cards.

"Quiet," he growled. "Evidently there's a massive blizzard, two feet of new snow at Aspen."

Janet watched with growing interest as O'Neill's glance flickered over to Sam and lingered. She didn't look up from her laptop, but her Janet could sense her frown when O'Neill added, "Great skiing."

Sam suddenly shut her laptop and mumbled, "Excuse me." She literally scurried out of the room, or maybe escaped was the better word, Janet thought dryly. O'Neill watched her, staring at the door where she'd disappeared. His grim expression grew even grimmer. And Janet watched in amazement when he grabbed his just removed jacket, tugged it on and stomped out the door; the sound of it slamming shut echoing loudly in the quiet room.

Jonas set the deck of cards down in from of Teal'c, who calmly cut them. Janet wasn't sure what to make of the scene she'd just witnessed. Teal'c and Jonas didn't seem to be too disturbed however.

"What was that all about?" she asked, taking a gamble that one of them would tell her. SG-1 was an unusually close-knit group and even though she was privy to their inner circle, there were still things that they didn't readily share with 'outsiders'.

"Colonel O'Neill is frustrated," Jonas commented, dealing the cards.

"Well," she said carefully, "I think we're all getting a little cabin fever."

"Cabin fever?" Jonas set the deck down on the middle of the table and looked at her with curiosity in his hazel eyes.

"A condition humans suffer from when they remain in enforced confinement due to inclement weather or other extreme weather conditions," Teal'c rumbled.

"More or less," Janet agreed.

"Ah." Jonas nodded. "I'm not sure I would call these extreme conditions." He gestured with his hand around the cozy room.

Janet looked around the lounge. The alpha-site residents had certainly done their best to make it a homey place. The sofa, while obviously having seen better days, was covered with a dark green cover and several ivy patterned throw pillows. There were two over-stuffed chairs clustered in one corner by a bookcase full of books. Of course, a real fireplace would have been nicer than the wood stove, but you couldn't argue with the heat it put out. But even with those touches—and the artificial Christmas tree in one corner and twinkling lights draped around the windows, it was still a utilitarian room.

"I believe both Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter might disagree." Teal'c calmly picked up his cards and fanned them out.

"But you said Sam wanted to be here?" Jonas countered.

"Major Carter wishes to be with O'Neill." Teal'c discarded the seven of hearts.

The same old thing, Janet thought gloomily, watching while Jonas picked a card from the deck.

"Well, there has to be something we can do." Jonas looked up from his cards and then at her with what could only be described as a lost puppy-dog look. And darn it, if Teal'c didn't have a similar expression on his face.

"Oh no," she said, scooting her chair back. "Don't get me involved with this. There are some things I'm better off not knowing."

"Is not the well-being of SGC personnel your first concern, Doctor Fraiser?"

Teal'c fixed her with his most intimidating look. Good thing she wasn't affected by it...too much, anyway. "Well...yes," she admitted.

"We would never ask you to do something that would compromise your ethics, Doctor," Jonas chimed in.

She warily eyed the two aliens. "What do you have in mind?"

Another look passed between the men and Teal'c gave an almost imperceptible nod of his head before speaking. "Major Carter has been working too hard. You believe she should take a break."

"I do?"

"Yes," Jonas added eagerly. "You're the CMO here, you can order her to take time off."

"And what will I order her to do on her time off?" Janet asked dryly.

"You know about the hot spring located five kilometers south of the base?" Jonas looked at her over his cards with a decidedly determined expression.

She slowly nodded. She was very much afraid she knew where this was going.

"You will instruct Major Carter to spend the afternoon at the hot springs," Teal'c replied.

"Okay," she agreed reluctantly, "I can do that."

"And leave the rest up to us."

She gave the two men her firmest doctor look, the one that sent lesser men into paroxysms of terror. "It's the 'rest' that I'm worried about."

"As you said, Doctor," Teal'c commented serenely. "There are some things you are better off not knowing."

Silently agreeing with him, Janet stood. After all, there was no time like the present to carry out her mission—and then deny all knowledge of it.

"Doctor," Jonas called after her.

She paused at the interior door through which Sam had exited and looked at him.

"You're still sleeping in the infirmary, aren't you?"

Puzzled, she answered, "Yes."

When Jonas grinned and a huge smile split Teal'c's impassive face, she couldn't believe how dense she'd just been. She and Sam, being the only two female SGC personnel currently at the alpha site, were sharing one of the smaller tents that were clustered around main encampment. But since she'd been staying at the infirmary, Sam basically had the tent to herself.

"Right," she said smartly, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "I'll make sure I don't change my routine tonight."

"That would be the wisest course of action."

"Indeed."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam trudged down the faint trail, ignoring the lightly falling snow. Shifting her pack, she sighed and stepped around several rocks embedded in the path. It would have been an idyllic winter scene, if she'd been in a better mood. The earlier wind had died down and the soft snowflakes landed quietly on the trees and the ground, turning it in a winter wonderland. Now that she was about a kilometer from the base, it was quiet and she could almost imagine she was in the mountains at home.

She didn't know if she was mad or glad with Janet for forcing this excursion on her. Spa afternoon, the petite doctor had told her—no, literally ordered her to take. A hot spring sounded marvelous, after almost a week of lukewarm communal showers. Of course, it was just her and Janet, so the communal part was a bit of an exaggeration, but the lukewarm wasn't. And while a soak in a hot spring sounded heavenly, it wouldn't do anything to solve the underlying reason for her blue mood. She wanted to be in Aspen, with Jack, sharing a hot tub with him instead of taking a solitary hike to some hot spring, on an alien planet, in the woods, in the middle of winter.

God, coming here had been a total disaster. They'd been here a week and she wasn't any closer to Jack than if she had stayed on Earth. She had obviously been mistaken when she'd thought that being quarantined with him would be better than being stuck back at the SGC without him. But they'd never had a quiet moment to themselves—except for the brief trip from the gate to the base when she'd first arrived. There was always someone around; even with personnel getting sick, being sick or recovering, they were seldom alone. The first few days she'd had to spend all her time fixing the problem with the base's naquada generator, which had been much more serious than Riley had known.

Christmas day had passed in a blur; she had vague memories of Jack bringing her a plate of pressed turkey, instant potatoes with gravy and green beans—along with pumpkin pie. Sam cringed now when she remembered how she had mumbled her thanks and set the plate aside, too intent on her repairs to thank him—or eat her meal with him. It wasn't until he had muttered something about letting her work that she realized he had brought his plate with him, but by then it was too late as he was out the door, leaving her alone with her rapidly cooling food. She hadn't known it then, but she'd blown her one chance at having some time alone with him. And beyond that, they'd spent their first unofficial Christmas together apart—which had been the whole reason she'd risked coming to the alpha-site.

But she'd found out soon enough, when the next day she had tried to make it up to him. She had spent the better part of the day trying to get him alone, only to be foiled at every opportunity. If it wasn't Colonel Riley monopolizing his time, it was Teal'c joining him for both breakfast and lunch. Even Janet seemed to be working against her when she'd shanghaied the Colonel into helping her in the infirmary, stealing him right from under her very nose during the one and only time she'd finally found him alone in the lounge. After that, she'd given up and had immersed herself in fixing every broken piece of equipment she could find and when she'd finished with that, she'd buried herself in the countless projects stored on her laptop.

Lost in her gloomy thoughts, Sam plodded along, following a gentle curve in the trail around a copse of dense spruce when she finally found herself at the hot spring. In spite of her blue mood, she found she could still appreciate the beauty of the setting. The pool was in a sheltered hollow; the thick stand of trees and a grouping of huge boulders formed a protective shelter around three-quarters of the pool. Steam wafted softly up from the gently bubbling surface, the ice crystals and water droplets clinging to the tall grass and brush at the edges of the pool gleaming in the sun like frozen tears. Someone had placed two large logs close to the edge of the pool, evidently to act as some place to sit. There was even a wooden walkway and makeshift rope handrail extending into the pool.

Following the path to the log benches, Sam set her pack down. From where she stood, she had a clear view of the path until it curved out of sight behind the trees. Whoever had put the logs where they were, had chosen well, she could see anyone approaching; the rock wall and dense forest behind her provided protection from that direction. She sighed, not that she had much to worry about at the alpha-site and Janet had promised to make sure she wasn't unexpectedly interrupted by anyone else desiring a 'spa afternoon'.

It was warmer by the pool, but it was still pretty darn cold to be stripping down to her bra and panties, Sam decided, minutes later as she stepped gingerly into the pool. Oh, but it was so worth the cold feet when she sank down up to her shoulders in the hot water. Moaning in pleasure, she settled down onto the rock ledge that—whether by design or chance—was conveniently located in the pool. It felt so good and she felt so decadent, the hot water from the spring's thermal source bubbled into the pool right next to her, as good as any Jacuzzi. A soft sigh escaped her, mixing with the steam slowly rising from the pool and she sank down until her chin brushed the water. There was only one thing missing that would have made it perfect—Jack.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jonas watched through the window while Teal'c talked to Colonel O'Neill. He didn't need his excellent eyesight to see the frown on O'Neill's face; the man's entire body language screamed annoyance. But he eventually nodded and stalked off, heading south out of the compound. Jonas smiled and nodded when Teal'c signaled to him, letting the louvers drop back into place. Hurriedly pulling on his parka, he slung a backpack over his shoulders and left the main building through the kitchen. Stopping briefly in the kitchen, he picked up the box of supplies he'd gathered while Teal'c had been talking with O'Neill. Shouldering the back door open, Jonas cautiously peered around. All was quiet in the compound, the snow was still falling and seemed to have driven even the hardiest of the Jaffa indoors.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to be careful, so he moved as furtively—and quickly—as he could, laden down as he was with the backpack and box. Slinking between buildings and various pieces of equipment, he finally reached the first of the tents. It didn't take long to find the tent he was looking for and Jonas was once more thankful for his photographic memory and the map of the compound he'd discovered hanging on the wall in Colonel Riley's office.

The snow on the low, wooden stoop was disturbed, so Jonas figured Teal'c was already inside. If not, he'd have some pretty fancy explaining to do. But they hadn't heard anything from Fraiser to indicate their plan wasn't going as...well, planned. Fumbling a bit with the flap, Jonas stuck his head in and was relieved to see Teal'c kneeling next to the wood stove.

"Jonas Quinn." Teal'c rose gracefully, crossing the tent and taking the box from his outstretched hands.

"Thanks, Teal'c." Jonas ducked through the partially open flap, quickly closing it up behind him. He just stood there for a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the lower level of light. Teal'c had set the box down and was busy with the stove again. "Won't that burn down before they get back?" Jonas asked, pulling off his gloves.

"I have replenished the supply of wood and this fire will burn for several hours before requiring attention."

"Ah." Jonas nodded and looked around the tent curiously. He and Teal'c were housed in the officer's quarters on the base, which they had to themselves, given the current epidemic. The tent seemed cozy enough, though he imagined if the wind blew too strongly, it wouldn't be quite so nice. There was very little evidence of the two women who currently occupied the tent, however. All in all, it was very dull and utilitarian.

"I require your assistance, Jonas Quinn."

Teal'c had evidently finished with the stove and was now standing by the one of the cots. When he picked up one end, Jonas picked up the other end and they moved the two cots side-by-side.

Jonas studied the arrangement, poking one of the metal frame legs with his foot. "Not very sturdy," he commented, when the two cots wobbled against each other.

Teal'c stooped down and scrounged around in a large duffel and pulled out several lengths of rope. "I believe this will help." Jonas handily caught the length Teal'c tossed at him and watched then, as Teal'c began lashing the legs of the cot together.

"Ah," Jonas murmured, doing the same on his end of the cot. "Now what?" he asked, sitting back on his heels. The tied together cots still didn't look very inviting, the two drab green sleeping bags lying on the mattresses not exactly conducive to intimate contact, Jonas decided pragmatically.

"Unzip the sleeping bags. I shall return shortly," Teal'c instructed, disappearing through the door of the tent.

Jonas shrugged and did as requested, spreading them out on the mattresses. It looked a little better, he decided. Not wanting to waste any of the limited time they had, he proceeded to carefully remove the few items resting on the trunk, on the far side of the tent, and covered it with a sheet he'd borrowed from the laundry and arranged the items he'd brought.

First he made what he thought was a fairly attractive grouping of the meditation candles Teal'c had donated, being sure to set out the matches. He then set out the food he'd gathered from the kitchen, arranging it on the tray and then covering it with a white towel. It didn't look too bad, he decided, and he really hoped the thermal carafes containing the hot items performed as advertised. Jonas couldn’t help but feel the meal they were providing wasn't going to be adequate. He'd been doing a lot of reading on Earth culture and he knew that soup and cold sandwiches weren't even close to being the food of choice for a romantic dinner.

There was a rush of cold air behind him and Teal'c ducked into the tent, his arms full of furs. Jonas raised an eyebrow, catching the large pelt Teal'c tossed to him. On closer inspection, he discovered it was several pelts sewn together, making a large cover or blanket. "Nice," he said, rubbing a section of thick white fur against his cheek. "Soft."

Teal'c dumped his armful of furs on the double cot and began arranging them on top of the open sleeping bags. Jonas spread his pelt out on the cot as well. "Where did you get these?" he asked, stroking a patch of silky, brown fur.

"These are from the reserve supplies left by the Jaffa."

"Nice touch," Jonas commented.

The two men surveyed the interior of the tent. Jonas thought it looked more welcoming than it had before and maybe even a bit romantic. "Too bad we don't have any flowers."  
Teal'c rumbled something that might have been agreement. Jonas had another thought. "Should we leave a note or something?"

"What would you suggest?"

"Well," he paused, not quite sure what would be relevant. It wasn't really Christmas, but it wasn't really New Year's, but they had missed their Christmas trip. "It's still the holiday season."

Teal'c inclined his head, remaining quiet. Jonas didn't say anything, knowing from the look on the Jaffa's face that he was thinking. "There is a well-known Earth verse that may be appropriate. Roses are red, violets are—"

"I know that one!" Jonas interrupted excitedly. Pulling his ever-present notebook out of his backpack, he fumbled for his pen and hurriedly scribbled in the book. Ripping out the piece of paper, he grinned and handed it to Teal'c.

Teal'c's face remained impassive while he read the verse and Jonas wondered if he'd misjudged the situation. But then a smile cracked his face.

"You think it's okay?"

"Indeed."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How did he get talked into these kinds of things? Oh that's right, if he hadn't finally given in, he would have been forced to spend the afternoon watching Teal'c glower at him and Jonas sulk for not following their suggestion. For his own good his ass, Jack decided sourly, tramping down the trail. Nothing had gone right since they had arrived at the alpha site and then they had gotten quarantined when they should have been skiing in Aspen.

No, he corrected himself grimly, when Teal'c and Jonas should have been skiing in Aspen and he and Sam should have been in some hot tub together, sharing a glass of wine and then whatever happened naturally. But no, instead, he was outside in the cold and snow, surrounded by alien pine trees, on his way to some natural hot spring where he could relax. He snorted, there was really only one thing he needed to help him relax, and she hadn't had the time of day for him since she'd arrived from Earth.

Jack knew that wasn't really fair. Riley had immediately put her to work fixing their naquada generator, which had apparently been a good thing since according to Sam, it had been close to going critical. He also knew that when she was absorbed in her work, she had the tendency to develop tunnel vision, but it still hurt that she had ignored him and his offering of Christmas dinner. And after that, he'd been run ragged, trying to help Riley keep the base running while everyone was sick and he was lucky to see her from a distance.

Snow was steadily falling and he could see the faint outline of someone else's tracks in the fresh snow on the path, which only added to his general annoyance. It was bad enough that his teammates had decided he needed a 'mental health break', but now it appeared that someone else had beaten him to the hot spring. It would be just his luck that he'd end up having to share it with some pimply faced airman who would stutter and cower—or worse yet, some hulking Jaffa who would glare at him the whole time. He kept walking though; he'd check it out so if asked, he could truthfully say he'd gone to the hot spring. And if there was someone already there, he'd quietly turn around and leave.

Rounding a gentle bend in the trail, the hot spring came into view and just as he had suspected, there was already somebody in it. From that distance, all he could really see was a head with fair hair. But there was something achingly familiar about that head and as he drew closer, his heart started beating faster. He knew the minute she had sensed she wasn't alone, she had stiffened, her eyes scanning the approach to the pool. But then she'd relaxed and when he reached the far edge of the pool, she was smiling.

"Carter." He stopped on the far edge, his posture casual though every part of him was on high alert. His eyes flicked from the pile of discarded clothing on one of the log benches to the woman in the water. He couldn't see much of her under the water, but was surprisingly relieved when she shifted and he caught a glimpse of a white bra strap. He wasn't quite sure what he would have done if she had been naked, given he wasn't that sure of his self-control around a naked Sam Carter. Partially clothed, he could do.

"Sir," she said softly, her hands skimming the surface of the water in front of her.

He just stood there, unsure of his welcome. Sam didn't look mad or annoyed at his appearance and he fleetingly wondered if Jonas and Teal'c had known she'd be at the pool when they'd forced this little excursion on him, or even if she'd been in on their little plan. But then he decided it didn't really matter. "Sorry," he finally broke the silence, his voice rough. "Didn't mean to interrupt you. I'll just—"

"No," she broke in abruptly. "As long as you're here, you might as well stay?"

Was it just his imagination or did she actually sound unsure of herself—or him? This wasn't quite the scenario he'd imagined when he'd fantasized being in a hot tub with Sam. But it would do. "All right," he simply said, following the path the rest of the way around the pool. He unclipped his P-90 and set it down on top of her small pile of clothing, vividly aware of her eyes on him as he proceeded to strip. For once, he was glad for the cold air and the resultant 'shrinkage'; it would have been way too humiliating given their current estrangement.

"Damn, it's cold," he gasped, gingerly hopping barefoot in the snow when he was finally down to his white boxer-briefs and black beanie.

Sam giggled. "Jack? The hat?"

He glared at her, but tugged his beloved beanie off before rushing quickly into the pool, almost slipping on the wet boards. Her giggle turned into a soft shriek when he landed with a huge splash in the pool, sending water spraying everywhere.

"Jack!"

He heard her gasp his name when he resurfaced, shaking his head and sending more water flying. She was smiling, her hair hanging in damp tendrils now around her face, and he felt a release of some inner tension he wasn't even aware he had flowing through him. He grinned at her and eased his way through the hot water to her side.

"Here," she said. Her blue eyes sparkled and her smile turned unexpectedly shy as she shifted on the rocky ledge to make room for him.

The hot water bubbled soothingly around them and Jack settled down next to her, just close enough to feel the additional heat from her skin, but not quite close enough to touch. That didn't last for long though, given that Sam evidently had other ideas when she closed the gap between them and rested her head on his shoulder.

Jack closed his eyes on a surge of lust, the warmth of the water revitalizing previously shy portions of his anatomy. Down boy, he silently urged himself. They might be at a relatively isolated hot spring, but they were still way too exposed to the elements—and other hazards—for anything more than just a long soak. But that didn't stop him from groping under the water for her hand and threading his fingers through hers, letting his hand rest on her silky thigh.

He was used to ignoring the arousal that coursed through him whenever he was near her, so it wasn't a particular hardship this time. Of course, they were usually fully clothed and surrounded by people. But Jack figured they were owed this, given that their Christmas plans had been seriously fucked up by Fraiser's continued quarantine of the alpha-site.

"This is nice," Sam murmured eventually. She snuggled a little closer to him.

Jack rumbled something and squeezed her hand gently, which was apparently acknowledgement enough. He heard her let out a heavy sigh and then she rubbed her cheek against his shoulder, a surge of desire arcing through him when he felt the soft press of her lips against his throat.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "For ignoring you on Christmas Day."

"Hey, it's okay. You were busy."

"That's no excuse," she replied mildly. Jack released her hand when he felt her tugging and she turned to face him. Her slim hand lifted out of the water, her fingers gently on his face when she caressed his cheek. He didn't think he'd ever seen her looks so beautiful, with her damp hair drying into unruly curls and her cheeks flushed from the heat. She smiled wryly. "This Christmas was supposed to be...special."

His lips curved in a slight smile. "Well, I think it definitely qualifies as unique...and white."

She chuckled softly and nestled back at his side. This time, he let his arm slip around her and simply decided to enjoy this unexpected reprieve from the grind of current life at the alpha-site. The scene was idyllic and even he could appreciate the beauty of the softly falling snow, the build up of the fluffy, white flakes on the dark green evergreens and quiet hush of the water gurgling around them. Maybe the whole time stuck here wouldn't be a complete wash after all.

Jack sighed and finally let himself relax. That was until he felt her hand rubbing idly on his thigh. Or maybe not so idly, when she slowly scratched her nails along his hair-roughened skin. "Sam," he murmured warningly.

"Hmmm?"

He angled his head and looked at her. "You're treading into dangerous territory there, Carter."

She tilted her head back, her eyes languid with desire and her smile slow and seductive. "And that's a problem how?"

God, he wanted nothing more than to just take her right there and then. But the risks were too great and he wasn't going to expose either of them to anything like that. Good thing there was an acceptable alternative. "Not here," he rumbled. He stood abruptly, catching Sam under her arms and hauling her up with him. The shock of the cold air was a welcome feeling on his over-heated skin; it gave him the necessary incentive to get them both to some place warm—and private.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam gasped, the cold air shocking her out of her sexual lethargy. She was mortified. What had possessed her to come onto Jack the way she had? Granted, he had seemed receptive and given the direction their tentative relationship had been taking, it was the logical next step. But a very public hot spring at the alpha-site was hardly the time or the place. Her scattered thoughts were rattled even more when Jack helped her dress, his hands brisk and efficient while he buttoned and zipped her up and stuffed her cold fingers back into her gloves. She shivered, wrapping her arms around herself and hugging against the cold, trying to ignore the clammy feeling of her wet undergarments.

She watched Jack with bemused appreciation, his muscles flexing and rippling smoothly as he dressed. Far too quickly he was bundled up in his winter fleece, beanie and parka, handing her pack to her and picking up his pack and weapon. "Come on," he rumbled. Sam just stood there for a moment, staring blankly at him until he smiled gently. "Let's go some place a bit more appropriate, okay?"

Nodding, she fell into step behind him. He set off at a brisk pace, which suited her. More time had passed than she'd realized as she tramped along through the deepening snow, the sun was low on the horizon and already partially setting behind the mountains that surrounded their base camp. The snow had also started coming down with serious intent and she was glad when Jack pulled out his flashlight, illuminating the path through the growing twilight.

They reached the outskirts of the encampment before she knew it; the hike back only seemed to take half the time of her initial hike to the pool. Lights were twinkling from the various outbuildings, smoke wafting up through the snow from the chimneys. Sam automatically followed when Jack skirted around the first set of outbuildings they encountered, leading her to the small grouping of basic platform tents where she and Janet were housed. She wasn't at all surprised when he unerringly led her to the tent she shared with the doctor.

Everything was blessedly quiet and Sam knew that all the inhabitants of their small community were settling down for dinner and the usual quiet evening. Jack stopped and she paused uncertainly by the door to the tent. He brushed her cheek gently with his gloved fingers. "I'll be back in a minute, just going to check in with Riley."

She nodded and watched him stride away before seeking the sanctuary of her tent. Slipping inside, she fumbled for the lantern and finally switched it on, only to stand inside the door in stunned amazement at the sight that greeted her. The tent was surprisingly warm, which meant that someone had stoked the wood stove and started the fire up again; there was even a neatly stacked pile of wood by the door. And that same someone—or pair of someone's—Sam deduced, had moved the two cots in the room together.

Stepping further into the room and unzipping her parka, she realized they had tied the cot legs together. Clever boys, she thought, not sure whether to be pleased or dismayed with their ingenuity—or their presumption. And what had they put on the mattresses? Oh my, she ran her hand along one of the pelts, the fur so warm and soft. Flipping through the pelts covering the mattresses, she counted no less than five fur 'blankets'. Oh my, she thought again, already lost in pleasurable thought as to what all that fur would feel like against her naked skin...and Jack's naked skin.

Forcing her straying thoughts from fur and naked Colonels, she saw that the trunk she and Janet used as an end table had been covered with a white cloth, which she discovered on closer inspection was actually a sheet. About six candles, that she recognized as some of Teal'c's meditation ones, were grouped together on one end of the trunk, and at the other end was a covered tray.

Sam gingerly lifted up the towel and found a plate with two plastic-wrapped sandwiches, two packets of potato chips, two apples and a plate of chocolate chip cookies. There were two bottles of water and two thermal carafes with matching mugs, as well. She opened one of the carafes and sniffed, tomato soup, she thought; the second contained hot chocolate. There was a piece of paper tucked under the plate with the cookies, Sam slipped it out and opened it up, recognizing Jonas' handwriting immediately.  
Roses are red, violets are blue.  
Sweets for the sweet, and Colonel O'Neill too.  
This isn't quite Aspen, but hope it makes do.  
Happy Holidays! T & J.  
She chuckled softly, not quite sure what to think, but she carefully re-folded the note and slipped it back under the plate of cookies.

Shrugging out of her parka, she hung it on its hook and then just stood in the middle of the room, a mass of indecision. Now what? At some point from the time that Jack had joined her at the hot spring and their return, she'd lost control of the situation. God knows, she'd wanted this for a long time, and now that it was happening, she was developing cold feet because it wasn't happening like she'd planned? No plush hotel suite in Aspen with a king-sized bed, the satin sheets and fancy black, lace camisole nightie she'd bought just for the occasion?

Instead, she was in a tent on an alien planet—of all places—with two cots tied together making the equivalent of maybe a double bed, fur blankets, meditation candles to provide atmosphere and a not-so-romantic five-course meal of tomato soup and sandwiches. If she'd tried, she couldn't have planned anything less conventional. But then, their whole relationship had been unconventional, right from the start. So maybe it was oddly appropriate that the consummation of their relationship happen just like this.

Of course, if she were honest with herself, she'd be the first to admit she wasn't satin sheets and lace nighties. It made for a nice fantasy though, and maybe someday they'd indulge in it, but right now, all she really needed was Jack O'Neill—who would be back at any moment. However, her still-wet undergarments were cold and clammy against her skin and she really needed to pee. Not wanting to waste any more time, she grabbed her parka and after quick consideration, the wash basin. She made a quick trip to the latrine, returning less than five minutes later feeling much better and with a basin full of fresh water.

Thank goodness Jack hadn't returned while she was gone, so she had time to check the stove and added another log. The candles were next, and bless their little hearts, the matchmakers had left matches by the candles and Sam quickly lit them, the soft candlelight filling the room. She then turned the lantern down to its lowest setting. She was pleased when the tent didn't look quite so shabby or...tent-like, in the subdued light.

Sam had just slipped off her boots and was standing in her stocking feet, trying to decide how far she should undress, when there was a rush of cold air. The candles flickered wildly and then Jack was in the tent.

"Hey." She smiled and stood nervously by the trunk.

"Hey, yourself," he replied, setting his P-90 down on the folding chair by the door, tossing his beanie down on top of it and hanging his parka up next to hers. His eyes moved around the room, taking in the scene, before he looked back at her. "You've been busy."

"Ah, no..." she stammered, "Actually, someone else has been busy."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Sam nodded and decided, What the hell. She pulled the note from under the towel and handed it to him.

He took it from her, moving closer to the lantern to read it, his brow creasing. He crumpled it in one hand, tossing it down onto the trunk and looked at her, a half smile on his face. "Well, I'll be damned."

She shrugged. "You didn't know?"

"I suspected, after I found you at the hot spring."

"Are we so transparent?" She wasn't really worried; she wasn't ashamed of her feelings for him. But the more people who knew, the more complicated it would get.

He shook his head, smiling wryly. "Teal'c has known for a long time. And Jonas? Well, he's nobody's fool."

"Janet must've been in on it, too. She practically ordered me to go to the hot spring." A troubled looked crossed her face. This time she was a little worried, she didn't want her friend and doctor to have anything to hide.

Jack seemed unperturbed. "I wouldn't worry about Fraiser," he murmured, brushing her hair behind one ear, his fingers lingering in a caress that sent chills down her spine. "I'm sure she was just looking out for your general well-being."

She shuffled closer to him, her hands resting tentatively on his waist. She tilted her head when he leaned forward, nuzzling her ear. "What makes you say that?" she whispered, letting out a soft gasp when he nipped her ear lobe.

"Because that's what Teal'c told me."

Jack's lips were moving slowly down the side of her throat and one of his hands had somehow slipped under her fleece top, those long fingers of his dancing up her spine while his other hand pulled her closer. They had been well and truly manipulated by their friends and because of that, she asked. "Are you sure about this?"

"Isn't that supposed to be my line?"

She pulled back slightly and looked at him, a slight smile on her lips. "I just hadn't imagined it would happen quite like this."

He grinned. "Seems perfect to me."

She chuckled and tightened her arms around him, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder, the soft fleece pullover warm and soft against her skin. Maybe he was right and it was perfect. Their lives—and their relationship—could never be considered ordinary. "What about Riley? No ones going to come looking for you, are they?"

"No one will come looking," he said, his voice reassuring. "I checked in with Riley, everything's quiet, so I told him I was taking the next twenty-four hours off. The only way we'll be missed is if we don't show up for the New Year's Eve party tomorrow night." He smiled wryly then, his brown eyes sparkling. "Besides, I have the feeling that our 'benefactors' will make sure we're not disturbed."

He was right, of course, she had no doubt that Teal'c would make sure they weren't interrupted—probably with threats of dismemberment to anyone who dared. Some of the tension that had crept in while he'd been away started to dissipate. They were snug and as secure as if they were in their own beds.

Make that bed—singular, she decided hazily. And then she really didn't want to think about anything except for Jack's leisurely caressing hands and slowly moving mouth. His hand was back under her shirt, fingers delicately running up her spine before splaying between her shoulder blades. He pressed gently and she sighed, twisting her torso and rubbing her breasts against him.

"What happened to your bra?" he muttered, pushing her away slighlty before tugging at her pullover.

"Wet," she managed to gasp softly, raising her arms so Jack could pull her top off over her head. His eyes darkened and she was dimly aware of the garment falling out of his hands and to the floor. She stood proudly before him, her nipples puckering tightly from both his heated gaze and the slightly cool air in the tent.

"Beautiful," he murmured, his voice husky and his hands gentle as he reached out and caressed her. She leaned into his touch, resting her head on his shoulder and clutching with trembling hands to his belt. When he urged her closer, she momentarily resisted, lifting her head, fumbling with the zip of his pullover and yanking futilely at the collar.

"Easy," he admonished with a low rumble. She actually whimpered when he pulled out of her arms, the brief protest dying on her lips when he stripped off his pullover and T-shirt. He was so handsome; it made her chest hurt and her heart race even faster. Seeing him now was even better than at the hot spring, because they were enclosed in the privacy of the tent and she knew how it was going to end—in his arms, on their makeshift bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Using binoculars, Jonas peered cautiously around the corner of the Quonset closest to the platform tents. He'd seen O'Neill leave the tent, but he was sure he would return. When he'd seen Sam leave the tent a few minutes later, he had felt a momentary panic, until she reappeared and went back into the tent. And then to his even greater relief, O'Neill returned and went into the tent. Jonas scanned the area carefully; all was quiet in the growing gloom. He was confident that he had been the only one to see the activity at Major Carter's tent. Teal'c suddenly loomed at his side, arriving without a sound.

"Did you get it?" he asked anxiously.

"Doctor Fraiser was most agreeable to lending it to us."

Jonas wasn't so sure about that, but he knew the Doctor was doing her best to help them while not really appearing to help them. "You know where to put it?"

They had both agreed, that since Teal'c had the greater training as a warrior and tracker, he would be the one to undertake this delicate mission. "I do, Jonas Quinn."

Jonas nodded and then watched anxiously while Teal'c slipped quietly through the compound, barely visible in the deepening twilight. Using the binoculars, Jonas watched as Teal'c paused on the south side of Major Carter's tent. He then sidled carefully around to the front of the tent and deftly hung the brilliant yellow sign. Even in the growing dark, the black QUARANTINE was clearly visible against the bright yellow of the sign. Seeing that should warn away any curious parties who might be tempted to let their curiosity get the better of themselves regarding the occupants of the tent.

"Good job," Jonas told Teal'c when he finally made his way back to the Quonset where Jonas waited.

"I believe our plan is working, Jonas Quinn."

"Really? What makes you say that?"

"The bedsprings are singing."

It took a minute for the meaning to sink in, but when it did—and even though he'd been prepared for it—Jonas still blushed bright red. "Ah...good," he finally managed to choke out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack groaned, the pleased look in Sam's eyes almost over-riding his fragile self-control. If it had been hard to keep his hands off her in the hot spring, it was even harder now to not just throw her on the bed and mindlessly thrust into her. He knew she'd planned something very different for their first time together. It was one of those female things that tended to baffle him, but that he accepted as part and parcel of getting involved with one. And he definitely wanted to be involved with Sam. So he was determined to do his best to make this special, which mean taking time and care. He wanted it to be memorable for all the right reasons.

With more restraint than he knew he possessed, Jack pulled Sam back into his arms, their lips finally meeting in a surprisingly tentative kiss. Her lips were cool, as were the tight nipples that pressed against his chest, but that didn't stop him from deepening the kiss, or wrapping his arms around her and pressing her tighter against him. She melted against him and everywhere they touched suddenly burned. Cupping the back of her head with one hand, he kissed her a bit harder and she opened her lips for him and he found himself engulfed in the even sweeter heat of her mouth.

He kissed her slowly and with great care, rapidly losing himself in the newness and wonder of finally kissing her...holding her. His other hand slid down the smooth skin of her back, pressing her closer before continuing lower, his fingers working their way beneath her trousers.

"God, Sam," he groaned, tearing his mouth away when his searching fingers only found more naked flesh. "What happened to your panties?" he gasped, the thought of a panty-less Sam Carter almost more than his poor desire-soaked brain could currently deal with.

"Wet," she grumbled, her blue eyes flashing with annoyance. "Jack," she pouted, "I thought that was the whole point? To get me out of my panties?"

She had a point. "Right," he conceded, kissing her fiercely before swinging her up in his arms.

"Jack!" Her amused cry turned into a small shriek when he pivoted and tossed her on the fur-covered cot, which creaked alarmingly with the action.

Sam lay sprawled invitingly on the furs and smiled languidly at him, arching her back in what he knew was a deliberate action. Reaching out, he was appalled to realize his hands were shaking. His normally nimble fingers fumbled with the buttons of her trousers, the tantalizing brush of warm flesh and slightly rough curls against his fingers a tempting distraction. Finally though, he released all the buttons and he pulled the drab green garment, and her socks, off in one smooth move, aided by Sam's agile movements.

In his whole life, Jack didn't think he'd seen anything quite as beautiful—or seductive—as Samantha Carter lying naked before him on a bed of fur. He felt something raw and primitive roar to life inside him; after all the denial and waiting, she was at long last going to be his. He knew something of what he felt must have shown on his face, but she didn't look frightened, she looked...in love.

"Jack," she murmured huskily, holding her arms out to him in an invitation he couldn't refuse.

Hurriedly stripping off the rest of his clothes and wasting precious minutes fighting with his bootlaces, Jack finally joined her on the bed, doing his best to ignore the way the two cots wobbled under their combined weight. He didn't waste anymore time, immediately covering her with his hard body. She was soft and warm beneath him and where they weren't touching skin, there was silky fur caressing both of them, which merely increased the primal feeling that he was claiming his mate in the most basic level possible.

Her long legs wrapped around him and he shifted over her, trying to gain some leverage on the soft furs when she moaned—and it wasn't a moan of pleasure. "What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes flying to her face.

She rolled her shoulders and tried to shift her torso. "Laying on something hard."

Jack shifted and knelt over her, cursing softly when the cot springs creaked noisily and his knee found a small gap between the mattresses and encountered the metal frame. The same frame that he figured was the cause of Sam's discomfort, given how the cots seemed to sag independent of each other.

He knelt over her, frustration overriding his desire. "This isn't going to work." Carefully sliding off the bed, Jack wrapped Sam in one of the furs and hauled her to her feet.

"What are you going to do?" she asked, tugging the fur closer around her. She looked so dismayed and yet still so desirable, that he couldn't help but kiss her, deep and possessively.

She whimpered when he released her lips. "I'm going to make us a bed."

There was only one way he could think of to ensure they didn't have some very hard to explain accident with those two cots. It didn't take long for him to zip the two sleeping bags together and then stuff the mattresses into the sleeping bags.

"Ah," Sam breathed, her eyes lighting up with understanding. "Very clever."

He dug into his pack then, pulling out the space blanket they all carried in the colder climates. "Where's your pack?" he asked, while shoving the two cots to the far corner of the tent. Once they were out of the way, he spread out his silvery blanket, and then hers, on the floor in front of the wood stove.

"Grab the other end, will you?" he instructed her, and between the two of them, they placed the sleeping bag encased mattresses on top of the space blankets. Jack tossed the pillows onto it and then spread the rest of the furs on their new 'bed'. "There, that should be better."

He looked at Sam, who stood uncertainly on other side of the mattress. She looked rumpled and sexy, the fur drooping around her shoulders, exposing the creamy smooth skin of her shoulders, her neck. But she also looked wary and unsure again; like any sudden move from him would send her skittering from the tent. He cursed silently, he should have just ignored the rickety and uncomfortable cot and taken her. She'd had time to cool down...and to think.

"Sam." He stayed where he was and held out his hand. Her eyes were shadowed in the candlelight and he wished he could see into her head, to know what she was thinking. She finally took his hand, her touch cool and tentative. Gripping her hand reassuringly, he tugged gently and they moved toward each other, until they were both standing on the mattress. He took both her hands then, still trying to decipher the look in her solemn blue eyes.

It took all his willpower to say it, but he did. "We can stop now."

Her lips curved in a slight smile. "No," she murmured. "I don't want to stop."

Relief surged through him, sending blood flowing back to his groin. But there was still something on her mind. Releasing one of her hands, he caressed her cheek. "What is it?"

"I think I just realized that this changes everything."

"Is that all?" He reached for her, but she stepped back out of his reach, pulling her fur blanket tighter around her.

"Well, I don't know about you, but to me, that's a lot." She sounded indignant, her brow furrowing and her lips pursing in that cute little way she had when she was annoyed with him.

"Change is good."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't pull that kind of crap on me. You know this changes everything."

"And you don't think I haven't thought about that? Considered what it means to you, to me, to our careers, the SGC?" She didn't say anything, just continued to stand there, looking all desirable and defiant. "I know it changes everything," he continued, his voice softer. "I love you," he admitted, "whatever happens, happens to both of us."

"You love me?"

If the uncertainty and vulnerability in her face and voice surprised him, he didn't let it show. He'd always known she had more confidence in her ability to solve a complex equation or dissect a piece of alien technology than she had in her ability to handle personal relationships.

Jack shrugged and reached for her again, and this time she let him pull her into his arms. "Yeah," he said, unclenching the slender fingers that still clutched at the fur wrapped around her. When she released it, he drew her arms around his neck as the fur fell to their feet, wrapping her in his embrace. "Always have," he murmured, nuzzling her neck and pulling her down with him onto the fur-covered bed.

Once more settling himself on top of her, he framed her face with his hands and she gazed up at him, her brilliant blue eyes once more gleaming with tender affection. "I know being stuck here isn't exactly been what we planned for Christmas."

"Oh," she murmured, shifting beneath him and causing his breath to catch. "I think maybe some of this is what we had planned."

He chuckled. "Hell, yes," he drawled, drawing his thumb slowly across her lower lip. "I think I can safely say I've been planning this since the moment I met you."

"Jack O'Neill," she snorted, nipping at his thumb. "You are such a man sometimes."

He smirked and thrust his hips against her, satisfied when she moaned appreciatively. "And aren't you glad for that?"

"Very," she agreed, looping her arms around his neck. And when she exerted gentle pressure, he gladly lowered his head, brushing his lips tenderly against hers.

The earlier urgency that had possessed him hadn't lessened with their delay, but Jack had regained some of his control. So he took his time, not demanding entrance to the deeper pleasures to be had in her mouth, but tempting her instead. Light touches that teased and promised of satisfaction without delivering, brief caresses that hinted at passion but remained chaste.

It wasn't until she took the initiative, her hand tightening in the hair at his nape and her tongue trying to force its way into his mouth, that he relented. He opened his mouth and deepened the kiss, kissing her deeply, ravenous for her sweet secrets. She whimpered softly, but Jack recognized it as a sound of pleasure, her hands now stroking his head, his neck and his shoulders. But as tempting as it was to kiss her endlessly, there were more of her secrets that he wanted to explore.

Slowly leaving her mouth—and ignoring her whimpered protest—Jack nuzzled his way down her throat, stopping to nip and suck lightly, careful not to mark her where it could been seen by others. There were just some things he didn't want her to have to try and explain. Her skin was so soft and she smelled so good. The fresh scent of her soap mixed with the aroma from the wood fire and the musky scent from the furs that surrounded them produced a heady perfume.

When he finally reached her breasts, he glanced briefly at her. Her eyes were closed, her cheeks were flushed and her luscious lips were parted slighlty, moist and swollen from his kisses and her breathing was shallow. Her brow was furrowed, but when he finally cupped one breast, delicately rubbing his thumb over the tightly budded nipple, she sighed softly, a look of pleasure returning to her face.

Not satisfied with merely fondling her, Jack lowered his head and fastened his mouth on soft flesh, sucking on the taut peak. He drew her deeply into his hot mouth, sucking hard and teasing the tight bud with his tongue. She moaned softly, her torso shifting languidly under his mouth, her hands lightly stroking his hair, encouraging him in his efforts. Not that he needed much encouragement, more than content to continue as he trailed a path of wet kisses across her breastbone and captured her other nipple with his mouth.

As wonderful as it was to feast at her breasts, Jack wanted to taste more of her. Kissing his way down her firm belly, he moved until he knelt between her legs. Stroking his hands along the inside of her thighs, he urged her legs farther apart. Watching her face carefully, he coaxed her to flex her knees even more, opening her to his gaze...his touch. He didn't want to push her further than she was comfortable, and he knew for some women, this would be pushing the limits for a first encounter. But he already felt like he knew Sam more intimately than most of the other women with whom he'd had sex.

"Okay?" he murmured, his fingers lightly caressing the smooth skin of her inner thighs.

"Yes," she sighed, her eyes opening briefly. Her lips curved in a sultry smile and she shifted slightly, lifting her hips toward him.

His hands were shaking and it took more of his control than he cared to admit to touch her carefully; smoothing his hands up the silky skin, before lightly touching her soft folds. She flinched slightly, but then he felt her relax and continued to caress her, gentling her to his touch. He took his time stroking through her slick folds until he found what he was searching for.

Her hips jerked and she gasped his name when he deliberately stroked the small nubbin. His answering smile was fierce and he continued to caress her, watching as passion filled her face, greedily absorbing every nuance of her response. When her breath was catching on each in-drawn breath and her hips were moving rhythmically to his touch, he stretched out between her spread legs. Running his tongue delicately along her swollen flesh, he tightened his grip on her thighs when she cried out softly, holding her firmly and fastening his hungry mouth on the tiny bundle of nerves.

Jack was drowning in sensation; the taste, the texture, the smell of Sam surrounded him, filling his senses and he couldn't get enough. And this was only the beginning. With skill and determination, Jack caressed Sam, carefully sucking and licking; tracing random patterns until he felt the first tremor run through her. He didn't let up, ignoring her gasping pleas and the fingernails digging into his scalp. Caressing her insistently, he didn't ease up until she was sobbing in release, lying limp beneath his hands and mouth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sam shivered, not from cold, but from the lingering tremors of the orgasm that still flowed sporadically through her. She had known they'd be good together, she just hadn't imagined he'd be so good. Only problem was, she couldn't move. She couldn't do anything but lie there and try to decide whether she was conscious or had gone to heaven—because it had never been that good before and it was only the beginning.

"Sam?"

There was concern in his low voice, so she forced her eyes open. Sometime between the time he'd killed her with his mouth and called her name, he'd crawled up her body and was now looking down at her.

"Hey," she managed to murmur; not sure she could form a word that involved more than one syllable.

"That good, huh?"

The look in his brown eyes was unbearably smug, but damn him, he had every right to look smug—it had been that good.

"Yes," she admitted, trying to sound grudging, but failing miserably. He raised an eyebrow. "Very, very good." She grinned at him and then raised her head to kiss him. She ran her hands down his back, cupping his firm ass. She could feel him, still hot and heavy, against her thigh and despite her completely satisfied state, she felt a tingle of arousal flicker through her.

"What about you?" she murmured against his lips, tugging his hips closer and angling her pelvis to encourage him.

"Oh, I think I'm going to be just fine," he rumbled. When he slipped a hand behind one of her knees, she didn't need any urging to move her legs higher around him. She felt his muscles tense and shift beneath her hands as he adjusted his position, moaning in anticipation when his rigid erection slid through her soft folds, seeking entrance. He moved cautiously at first, and she was positive he was trying to kill her all over again, the shallow probing a tantalizing preview of what was to come.

"Jack," she pleaded, gripping his hips tighter, demanding that he continue.

"Patience," he growled. She whimpered again, his slow and deliberate penetration almost more than she could bear, but he refused to be hurried. Her reality had been reduced to only him, and his presence, as he stretched and filled her. Jack pushed deep and she cried out softly when he finally sheathed himself fully in her tight depths and started moving, thrusting heavily into her.

Making love with him was everything she had imagined, yet so much more. There was nothing casual about this, she realized dimly. In the flickering candlelight, his expression was fierce and possessive and she knew instinctively that he was claiming her on the most basic level. It was primal and earthy and somehow fit their surroundings. The furs were soft and warm beneath her, Jack's body hard and hot against her, the primitive atmosphere amplifying the sensations. She was his and always would be.

The depth of her emotion had to give way to words. "I love you," she gasped.

His eyes became even darker, filled with fierce passion. "You're mine."

"Yes," she moaned.

"Say it," he commanded, punctuating his demand with a slow rotation of his hips against hers.

"I'm yours."

"Yes," he growled, his lips hard against hers in a demanding kiss. She felt bereft when he lifted his mouth from hers, shifting and sliding his arms under her knees and opening her fully to his possession. She moaned with approval, clinging to his shoulders and surrendering to his love.

Jack's movements intensified the change in position and incredible friction re-igniting her desire until she shattered again, ecstasy cascading through her. And he was with her, her heightened senses vividly aware of his final, erratic thrust; of his pelvis grinding against hers; his harsh cry and the endless pulses of his release as he filled her with his seed.

He collapsed on her, panting and sweaty, his big body trembling against hers in the aftermath of their mutual rapture. She could barely move, but all her protective female instincts kicked into gear and she tugged the fur blankets over their rapidly cooling bodies. Jack groaned and nestled deeper into her arms. Sam squirmed beneath him, reluctant to break their connection and he shifted, easing some of his weight off of her and she was happy.

Sam stroked his hair, contentment filling her while she listened to his breathing gradually return to normal. When he sighed heavily and nuzzled her neck, she spoke. "That good, huh?"

His chest moved against hers in a low chuckle and he raised his head. "The best."

She searched his face carefully in the dim light, seeing only love and satisfaction in his eyes. It hadn't happened like she had imagined, but that it had happened at all, was the answer to her dreams. "I'm glad," was all she said.

He kissed her on the nose and she pouted a bit when he pulled out of her arms and sat up, but he merely grinned at her and reached for the tray of food. She sat up as well, wrapping one of the warm furs around her and taking the sandwich he handed her. She sniffed it cautiously; it smelled like turkey, so she took a bite.

"When we get back to Earth, we'll take that ski trip." Jack took a bite out of his sandwich.

"We don't have to go skiing," she told him with a saucy wink, reaching for the thermos with the soup.

"Believe me, it's tempting," he replied. "But if we don't go, Teal'c will pout and you know how that gets old really fast."

She giggled and handed him a mug full of the tomato soup. "Well, we can't have that," she agreed.

"Besides, I think we owe them," he gestured with his mug of soup, "for all of this."

Sam smiled; they did indeed owe their two teammates—and Janet, if her suspicions were correct. She held up her mug of soup in a toast. "To our Christmas angels."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The insistent beeping from the watch finally woke him and Teal'c watched in quiet amusement when Jonas bolted upright on his narrow cot.

"Teal'c." Jonas yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"I am here, Jonas Quinn." Teal'c sat cross-legged on his cot, the soft glow of the dozen or so candles he habitually lit while performing Kel-no-reem burning brightly.

"We'd better take that sign down before the Colonel sees it."

"I have already seen to the matter." Teal'c inclined his head downward and Jonas craned his neck, almost falling off his cot. The incriminating sign was tucked under his bed, one end protruding slightly from his duffel.

"Ah, good. Did, ah, anyone see you?"

"If you mean did Colonel O'Neill or Major Carter see me, then no, all was quiet."

"That's good...I guess."

Teal'c nodded his head again and closed his eyes. He heard the rustling of blankets and the creaking of cot springs as Jonas lay back down. He sighed, knowing the other man would not remain silent for long.

"Teal'c?"

He rumbled something that could have been affirmative.

"Do you think we'll still get to go on our ski trip?"

Even though he trusted Jonas Quinn, Teal'c decided it was prudent not to mention that he had taken a surreptitious peek inside the tent when he'd removed the sign. Though he would never admit it, what he had seen had warmed his old warrior's heart—O'Neill and Major Carter, curled up in each other's arms and covered with the fur blankets. He contented himself with a half smile. "I believe that O'Neill will be most agreeable for some time to come, Jonas Quinn."

THE END


End file.
